1. Field of the Invention
The absorber intercooler of the present invention relates generally to apparatus for the separation of gases, and more particularly pertains to a heat exchanger employed in apparatus of the above-mentioned type which removes heat released during an absorption process.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
As is well known in the prior art, an absorption process occurs when a vapor, which may be composed of a plurality of gases, is mixed with a liquid which has an affinity for a particular gas within the vapor. In one particular process, a liquid including light hydrocarbons is utilized to absorb an ethylene gas. The absorption process releases heat which had been dissipated in the prior art through the use of a separate, external heat exchanger. A disadvantage with the prior art approach is that the external heat exchanger has proved to be expensive and too costly when the absorption process involves small quantities of liquid and vapor. When the absorption process is conducted on a relatively small scale, it is too costly to provide an external means for cooling the mixture. The present invention is therefore directed to alleviating the cost and expense of external methods of cooling an absorption process, and accordingly overcomes the disadvantages set forth hereinabove.